Need cows quick; need advice

[lseger]

My husband and I recently bought a 10 acre farm that we plan to use principally as a goat dairy, however to maintain our ag exemption we are going to have to get six cows on the land by January.

We have the necessary infrastructure - barns, fences, cross fences, chutes...everything. The previous owners kept cows for the same reason. We already made our first mistake in not buying those cows with the land, are now trying to remedy that.

We need a little advice on how to buy our first six. Please understand that we are doing as much research as we can as fast as we can about raising cows, but any advice would be welcome. I am going to read a zillion of these posts, as well as a few books - I just thought this would be a good place to seek help from others who were thrust into cattle a little before they were prepared.

Any advice on whether to go to sale barns, get 6 from one breeder, get bred cows or steers, etc.would be much appreciated.

 

[Beef11]

Your Ag exemption laws are different than around here, is it any six bovines? or do they have to a certain age? could you buy half interest is them and keep them elsewhere part of the year?

 

[jw]

Check your information requirements again. I don't think you will have to have six cows for a 10 acre spot. If you do then go to the sale barn or talk to a cattleman around you. Buy the minimum number required and then sell them after your exemption is recorded.

 

[lseger]

Our ag rules say 7 "animal units".
I read that an animal unit is 1500 pounds, but they don't seem to enforce that in any way. the tax office just told us we needed 7 cows (or in our case 6 cows and 7 goats - 7 goats being equal to one animal unit)

 

[backhoeboogie]

Our ag rules say 7 "animal units".
I read that an animal unit is 1500 pounds, but they don't seem to enforce that in any way. the tax office just told us we needed 7 cows (or in our case 6 cows and 7 goats - 7 goats being equal to one animal unit)

Take you time and don't panic. Be careful what you buy. Wild cows will jump six foot fence trying to get back home. Get some cows you can handle to start with. Take your time and figure out exactly what you want to do.

For now, find a friend that has cows and have him bring some to your place for you to care for, until you get some of your own. If I knew you and you were in my neighborhood, I could put some there with hay to get you through this. Surely you have a friend with similar circumstance.

 

[dun]

Since it's going to be a goat dairy, why not pick up 7 meat goats?

dun

 

[Howdyjabo]

You need to do some more research.
In our area an "animal unit" doesn't mean 1 cow or 1 goat
or 1 chicken

In ours 5 goats or sheep = 1 animal unit

 

[lseger]

Maybe I didn't express the requirements right.
Our county requires 7 animal units on our land to meet the exemption. It defines 1 animal unit as being roughly 1500 pounds. (Which, as I said - they don;t seem to enforce) I have their quick reference guide that equates this requrement to one adult cow.

Alternatively, 7 goats equal one animal unit. We have 7 goats - so we're down to needing 6 more animal units...which we plan to do in cattle. (Were we to try to hit it with goats only, we would need 49 - more than we are prepared for at this point.)

We are new to the community, so do not know a lot of people yet, but it would be ideal if someone could put 6 of theirs on our land. We would let them graze for free and hay them, too - just for the tax benefit.

That being said, if we find that we do need to buy some, I am wondering what breed (and gender) would be the easiest for us to handle and keep for a while. For every 7 goats we add, we can then sell off one of these cows.

 

[MillIronQH]

For now, find a friend that has cows and have him bring some to your place for you to care for, until you get some of your own. If I knew you and you were in my neighborhood, I could put some there with hay to get you through this. Surely you have a friend with similar circumstance.

Good advice. There is nothing that I know of that says the cattle have to belong to you or that they must be there twelve months a year. There are a lot of people that rent or lease their places out for cattle for thew sole purpose of maintaining the exemption.Z

 

[rgv]

That kind of stocking rate on 10 acres makes no sense.
Why would they require such heavy stocking rates?

RGV

 

[lseger]

That kind of stocking rate on 10 acres makes no sense.
Why would they require such heavy stocking rates?

RGV

I hear you! This county is really tough... and inflexible. We had hoped they would cut us some slack as we work to build our Grade A dairy, realizing we are sincere about using the land for agriculture. Other counties are far more liberal, using a "primary use" definition. I have no idea if this stocking rate is realistic yet - I guess we will find out.

 

[KMacGinley]

You'd be better off with the 49 goats, a lot more profitable.

 

[Dusty Britches]

That kind of stocking rate on 10 acres makes no sense.
Why would they require such heavy stocking rates?

RGV

I'm going to throw my 2 cents into that - could it be to keep people living on very small acrage from claiming tax exemptions and abusing the system?

And - a 1500 pound cow is a very large cow. The average is 1100 pounds.

I imagine CB is stewing over this thread, too.

 

[lseger]

That kind of stocking rate on 10 acres makes no sense.
Why would they require such heavy stocking rates?

RGV

I'm going to throw my 2 cents into that - could it be to keep people living on very small acrage from claiming tax exemptions and abusing the system?

We're pretty sure this is why they have the rates so high - or part of it anyway. And the acreage minimum for exemption is 10, so we're right there. It just seems to me there could be some kind of flexibility - considering the cost of bulding our Grade A dairy, it should be obvious we're not trying to bilk the system. ...so any of you want to put some cows on our farm?

 

[dcara]

I had a discussion about a month ago with our local NRCS rep about a similar situation. The case was in Hunt county Texas where the CAD office said the land owner had to put 13 head of livestock on the property. When the land owner contacted the NRCS and told them what the CAD office said, the NRCS called the CAD office and told them there was now way that property could support that stocking rate AND that 1 head per 2 acres was about the norm stocking intensity for this area. The CAD office denied ever saying they required 8 head on 13 acres and that 3 or 4 cattle would be fine.

In short, contact you local NRCS rep and see if you can talk some sense into your local CAD office.

 

[dcara]

owner had to put 13 head of livestock on the property

woops. that s/b 8 head on 13 acres

 

[Mosho]

Do all states have the kind of ag exemption you are discussing.
I am not familiar with this.

 

[Caustic Burno]

That kind of stocking rate on 10 acres makes no sense.
Why would they require such heavy stocking rates?

RGV

I'm going to throw my 2 cents into that - could it be to keep people living on very small acrage from claiming tax exemptions and abusing the system?

And - a 1500 pound cow is a very large cow. The average is 1100 pounds.

I imagine CB is stewing over this thread, too.

I have been, at that stocking rate they will have a dirt lot by spring. This is a classic example of what the pet owners are doing to the system.

 

[backhoeboogie]

That kind of stocking rate on 10 acres makes no sense.
Why would they require such heavy stocking rates?

RGV

I'm going to throw my 2 cents into that - could it be to keep people living on very small acrage from claiming tax exemptions and abusing the system?

And - a 1500 pound cow is a very large cow. The average is 1100 pounds.

I imagine CB is stewing over this thread, too.

I have been, at that stocking rate they will have a dirt lot by spring. This is a classic example of what the pet owners are doing to the system.

You cattle do not have to be on that property the entire year. You simply have to prove that you are using it for them.

 

[Beef11]

You cattle do not have to be on that property the entire year. You simply have to prove that you are using it for them.

Does it seem like the goverment is kind of encroaching? This discussion is about appeasing goverment officals involving private land. When did they stop working for us?